by Chris Wright
"The Valiant-for-Truth man
By handling Sword and Shield,
Doth make an evil dragon,
Quit the field."
CHAPTER 19
The Dark Valley
It was late in the afternoon when I came to the end of the valley. I had seen nothing more of my enemy, and was beginning to think that I might now put my sword back into its sheath, when I saw two boys running towards me.
"Where are you going?" I asked, for they looked terrified.
"Back, back!" they shouted. "And you'll go with us if you value your life!"
"Why, what's the matter?"
"Matter?" they said, shaking with fear. "We were going the same way as you to the Celestial City, but we only just turned back in time to prevent being killed."
"Tell me what you saw?" I said, wondering if they had met the Destroyer, or maybe some more lions.
"We were nearly at the Dark Valley," one of the boys said, "and then we saw it ahead."
"Saw what?" I asked anxiously, for I was now sharing their panic.
"Why, the valley itself. It's as dark as pitch. We saw all sorts of terrible creatures, and heard howling and yelling. All over the Dark Valley hang the clouds of uncertainty. Death was there, too, spreading its wings. In a word, it was horrible."
"Well," I said, "that's the way I have to go."
They couldn't persuade me to turn round, and I couldn't persuade them to go with me. So we parted, and I went on with my sword ready in my hand.
As the darkness closed around me, I caught sight of a deep ditch on one side, and an area of marshland more dangerous than the Slough of Despond on the other. A thick mist now swirled around my path, hiding it from sight. I could only just see my hand when I stretched it out in front of my face, and at times I had no idea where I was putting my feet.
Flames and smoke poured from the ground, while flashes of light and terrible cries came out from the rocks above. Someone came up behind me and whispered unpleasant words about the King's Son in my ear. To my horror I thought I was saying these words myself, and I wondered how I could be so bad as to even think such things. I realised later I should have put my fingers in my ears and talked to the King's Son, but at the time I had no idea where the words were coming from.
I wondered whether to turn round, for I was becoming so frightened that my whole body started shaking. I sensed some evil soldiers marching closer and closer. There was only one thing to do now: I called out to the King to give me his strength to go on through the blackness.
I had already come a long way through this valley, and I said to myself, "Perhaps I'm not far from the end of it, and going back might be worse than going forward." So I said loudly, "I will walk in the strength of the King."
Presently I found that the soldiers had taken a different path, and I didn't meet them at all. At that moment I heard someone young repeating words that were in my Book. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me." Only someone who was one of the King's pilgrims could say those words, but I had no chance of seeing anybody in this thick mist.
CHAPTER 20
Faithful
In spite of my tiredness, I walked on through the mist and darkness, all the time calling to the King to watch over me, and occasionally hearing someone ahead repeating words from my Book.
It was getting light now, and when I looked back I was shocked to see just how dangerous the valley had been. The deep ditch on one side, and the marsh on the other, filled me with horror when I saw how close I had come to disaster. I thought I saw a dragon slinking back into the shadow of the rocks, and evil figures disappearing as the sun now shone brightly.
Then I looked forward, and felt more and more thankful for the sun, because the path ahead was, if possible, even more dangerous. From where I was, right to the end of the valley, the Way was so covered with snares, traps and nets, and so full of deep holes, that if it been dark I would never have survived the night.
I soon came to a small hill, where pilgrims could look ahead and see the path they had to take. As I reached the top, I caught sight of a young pilgrim not far away. I called out to him, but my voice only made him hurry away.
"Stop," I called. "Wait for me."
The pilgrim turned and shouted, "Not on my life. The enemy is coming."
I didn't know if he was referring to me, or the enemy in the Dark Valley, but I ran as fast as I could and quickly caught up with him. But in my rush I raced past, unable to stop. The next thing I knew I was flat on my back on the ground.
The young pilgrim laughed as he helped me to my feet. "I'm not laughing at you," he said, "but at myself for thinking you were some terrible fiend!"
Once he'd cleared that up, we walked together. He said his name was Faithful, and he was going to the Celestial City. I told him I thought it would be a good idea if we travelled together.
"I remembered things you told me from your Book," Faithful said as we walked along. "I wanted to leave the City of Destruction with you, but you left in such a hurry that I didn't know you'd gone. So I've been walking by myself."
"Did you stay long?" I asked.
He shook his head briefly. "Only a few days. Everybody was talking about you, and I kept wishing I'd left the city when you did."
"What were people saying about me?" I asked, surprised that anybody had even noticed I'd gone.
Faithful looked slightly embarrassed. "Well," he said, "if you must know, most of them said you're stupid."
"I don't mind. That's what they kept telling me when I lived there," I said with a laugh. "What happened to Pliable?"
"When his friends heard he'd only got as far as the Slough of Despond, they jeered at him for not going on."
"That's strange," I said, frowning. "They're laughing at me because I went on, and they're laughing at Pliable because he went back."
Faithful shrugged. "I think Pliable is seven times worse than he was before he set out. Anyway, I crossed the Slough safely without getting stuck, but before I reached the Wicket Gate I met a girl who tried to persuade me go with her to her village near Law Mountain. In the end she walked off, saying I was a waste of her time."
I remembered how I'd met young Worldly-Wiseman at the same place. Perhaps there was often someone there, trying to try to stop people from reaching the Wicket Gate. I said, "You must be glad you didn't listen to her. Did you meet anyone else?"
"Not there. I got through the Wicket Gate without any problems, but when I came to Hill Difficulty I saw an old man sitting by the side of the road. He told me I had an honest face, and offered to take me back to his home in the town of Deceit. He said I could marry one of his daughters when I'm older. He even told me I could have all his riches when he died. He was so pleasant that I couldn't help listening, and he almost persuaded me to go with him."
"Oh," I cried, "he would have made you into his slave."
Faithful nodded. "I can see that now. I was just about to turn back when I saw he was smiling to himself in a nasty way. So I said, 'I won't go.' That made him angry, and he told me he'd send someone to punish me. But I escaped and went up Hill Difficulty."
"Did he send anyone after you?" I asked.
"Well, certainly someone came after me. Just as I was passing the shelter, I heard a man running up the hill as fast as the wind. He shouted that he'd come to punish me for listening to the old man. He knocked me to the ground and hit me so many times that I pleaded for mercy. He told me his name was Justice, and he wasn't allowed to be kind-hearted. I thought he was going to kill me. At that moment a man with a gentle face came by, and he told Justice not to strike me."
I had a sudden idea who this was. "Did he tell you his name?
"I didn't know who it was at first, but when he was going up the hill I saw nail marks on his feet and his hands, and I'm sure it was the King's Son."
"I've heard about Justice," I said, "and I'm glad I didn't meet him."
Faithful nodded and
smiled. "In a way I'm glad I did," he said. "He helped me understand just how much the King's Son loves us, because he let Justice punish him instead of punishing me."
CHAPTER 21
Talkative
We were just entering a wilderness, a large expanse of flat land, when we heard someone coming our way. We turned quickly to see a young man waving.
"Are you going to the Celestial City?" Faithful called to him.
The young man hurried towards us. "Indeed I am," he said.
"Then we can talk together as we travel," Faithful told him.
The young man hesitated. "Much depends what you wish to talk about," he said. "Talking can sometimes be nothing but a costly waste of time."
"What would you like to talk about?" Faithful asked, looking a little put out.
The young man drew himself up tall. "I will talk of heavenly things, or earthly things; of moral things, or evangelical things; of sacred things, or irreverent things; of things in the past, or things to come; of foreign things, or things at home -- anything, as long as it is worthwhile."
I recognised this young man. If he was going to carry on like this all the way to the Celestial City, the journey would indeed seem long. I drew Faithful to one side. "Don't you know recognise him?"
Faithful shook his head.
"As far as I know, he still lives in the City of Destruction," I said quietly. "His name is Talkative."
Faithful shrugged. "I've never seen him there."
"Well," I said, "the city is a large place. But he's not a pleasant person."
Faithful sounded annoyed. "He seems all right to me," he mumbled.
"Not when you get to know him. He's like a painting that looks fine from a distance, but when you're close you can see it's not so good. Talkative will say so many things, depending on what he thinks we want to hear. He'll talk about prayer, repentance, faith and new birth. But that's all he can do. He has knowledge in his head, but not in his heart."
For the next thirty minutes Talkative bored us with details of his extensive knowledge. Without doubt, he knew a lot more than I did about the King, but it didn't seem to mean much to him.
At last Faithful pulled me aside. "I was prepared to welcome Talkative's companionship at first," he said quietly, "but I'm sick of him already. What shall we do to get rid of him?"
"Mention something about the love the King and his Son have for us," I suggested. "And listen carefully to what he says."
So Faithful listened, while his companion talked endlessly about the King's goodness. When I moved nearer, Faithful said to Talkative, "I suppose you are careful to obey the King?"
Talkative looked away. I wasn't surprised, because he always did just what he liked, but was ready to tell other people what he thought the King had commanded them to do.
"I don't see that it matters to you," he said angrily.
"I think it does matter," Faithful said. "If you talk so much about loving the King, you ought to serve him."
"How do you know that I don't serve him?" Talkative snapped back.
"Do you?" Faithful asked.
"Don't you talk to me like that," Talkative shouted. "I'm older than you are."
Faithful seemed stunned by this reply. "I only want to be sure you're a real pilgrim. That's all."
"A real pilgrim? Of course I am. But I know what's going on." Talkative glared at me, his eyes flashing. "Christian has been telling you a lot of stories about me, and I suppose you believe them all."
Faithful said nothing, but walked on quietly with me.
"I don't care," Talkative called, dropping back. "Since you only want to believe bad things about me, I wouldn't want to walk with you anyway. And so adieu."
With that, he walked off quickly, back along the way we'd just come.
"Never mind," Faithful said to me. "To tell you the truth, Christian, I'm glad he hasn't stayed with us. I don't think he'd have done us any good."
"You're right," I agreed. "But perhaps he'll think about what we've said, and I hope one day he'll start his journey in the right way."
Faithful laughed. "We may even see him in the Celestial City." And in spite of his smile, I knew he was serious. The King would welcome anyone who wanted to come to him and follow him.
CHAPTER 22
Warnings
By the time we left Talkative behind, we were nearly out of the wilderness. The Way of the King went straight ahead, and as I looked along it I was glad to have Faithful for company.
I turned round to see how far we'd come, and saw a man hurrying towards us. "It's Evangelist," I shouted in excitement, pleased to see my friend again. I was so grateful that he'd taken the time to talk to me in the City of Destruction and help me start my journey, but I'd not had a chance to thank him properly since then.
It seemed a long time ago that I'd become stuck in the Slough of Despond, and as soon as Evangelist caught up with us I told him all the things that had happened to me, including the mistakes I'd made.
Evangelist smiled. "I'm glad to hear that the King has brought you through everything safely, in spite of your sometimes failing him. And he will always help you."
"I'm sure he will," I agreed.
Then Evangelist turned to Faithful. "Tell me about your adventures," he said.
"I haven't fought any battles yet." Faithful looked embarrassed, and seemed half-afraid to speak.
Evangelist obviously noticed this. "You love and trust the King with all your heart," he told Faithful. "I'm sure you'll be just as brave as Christian, if the servants of the evil prince attack you."
Faithful said he hoped he would be.
"Sometimes people have to suffer much," Evangelist continued. "Remember, if you are faithful unto death, the King will give you a crown of life."
It was only later that I realised what Evangelist was saying. But from the look on Faithful's face, he understood the meaning of those words, even if I didn't.
"Tell us more about the road," I begged. "Will it be easier now, or are there other frightening places to pass through?"
Evangelist looked serious. "I came to meet you here," he told us, "because you are approaching the gates of Vanity Fair, a great town built by the evil prince many thousands of years ago. It looks like a beautiful place, full of all kinds of pleasant things, but most of the people there will hate you."
"Maybe there won't be a fair today," Faithful said.
Evangelist explained that there was never a single day when it wasn't possible to find whatever people wanted in Vanity Fair. "You can buy and sell silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, houses, land, goods, titles, countries, kingdoms and any sort of pleasure all through the year."
"Do we have to pass through it?" Faithful asked, sounding more than a little anxious. He'd been extremely quiet since Evangelist mentioned the crown of life.
"All pilgrims going to the Celestial City have to travel through Vanity Fair," Evangelist said. "Even the King's Son had to pass through, and the evil prince tried to make him buy some of its wares."
"But we don't have to stay there, do we?" I asked, seeing a way out of our problems.
Evangelist shook his head. "No, you don't. Just remember that you mustn't stop. Unfortunately, some pilgrims decide to stay to look round. Then, when they've been in the town a few days, they forget the King altogether. When they see other pilgrims passing on their way to the Celestial City, they try to persuade them to stay with them."
"What shall we do?" Faithful asked. I could tell he was afraid of the place, and couldn't help wondering how brave he would be if we had trouble there.
Evangelist laid a hand on Faithful's shoulder. "Walk quietly along the streets. Don't stop to look at the things in the shops and in the market. Some days the townspeople leave pilgrims alone, but there are times when they treat them badly."
"Might they even kill us?" I asked. It was my turn to sound anxious.
"There have been times when they've been evil enough to kill people who won't serve their prince
," Evangelist said. "But don't be fearful. If you do have to die there, the King will send his angels to carry you to be with him for ever."
The sun was just setting when Evangelist said goodbye, and before its light faded we saw the walls and gates of a great town in the distance.
"Are you scared?" I asked Faithful.
"Not very," he said hesitantly, but I think he was. "I know the King's Son will take care of us, Christian, and you have your sword and shield."
"If you'd stayed at the House Beautiful you would have been given some armour, too."
"Never mind," Faithful said, with a quick smile. "I'll keep close to you, and if the people do kill me, there will be no more enemies to fight."
We passed through the wide archway just as darkness fell. The heavy gates slammed shut behind us. We were locked inside Vanity Fair.
CHAPTER 23
Vanity Fair
I spent the night with Faithful sleeping in a sheltered corner, just inside the gates. When he built Vanity Fair, the evil prince must have known that when pilgrims reached the town they'd be feeling tired and faint, and he'd be hoping to persuade them to stay here instead of going on to the Celestial City.
As soon as the sun rose, we began our walk through the town. I thought that if we started early we might be able to reach the opposite gate, before the streets became crowded with people.
The evil prince had filled the place with everything that looked pleasant and beautiful. There were broad streets and handsome houses, and the stalls in its market were full of glittering wares. People passed busily up and down wearing fine clothes, spending their whole time pleasing themselves. Clearly the evil prince took care to give everyone plenty of things to enjoy. They seemed to have not a moment to spare in which to think of the King they had ignored.
"We won't go into any houses," I said. "Evangelist warned us not to get involved with anyone here."
But my bright shield and breastplate, and Faithful's new clothes, were not like those worn by the people in Vanity Fair. We'd only gone a short distance when some men who were strolling by called out, "Look at those two pilgrims! Let's go after them and stop them!"
We heard them running up behind us, but we didn't look round.
"Don't take any notice," I said to Faithful. "Perhaps they'll not bother us."
But when the men came up, they crowded round us and refused to let us pass.